"[The enemy] knows that if he can get men spiritually checked out, if he can addict them, if he can enslave them, then the power of the Gospel will be stifled" -Unearthed Pics
Why don't you understand me? I only told you 314 times...
As a follow-up to one of my latest
posts regarding theBrokenness of Humanityin the midst the Sandusky scandal, it
is only fitting then to comment on the latest buzz.
The Freeh report is the latest installment of buzz that has
the media rooms busy and gallons of coffee being consumed as the fallout from
the scandal continues. One of the most striking statements within the
Freeh report comments on the lack of care that was given to each victim by
various key individuals.
Among many voices that were speaking when the news first
broke in November 2011 was that ofTim Henderson, campus leader ofPenn State Cru.
He was one of the first to call out the lack of care for the victims. In
his talk to the Penn State campus, namedLove Notices Wet Hair, Tim stated:
At Penn State, we have been asking questions about obligation all week.
Who is obligated to report what to whom? Who is legallyobligated to report
sexual abuse of a child, and to whom must they report it? Who is morally
obligated to report sexual abuse of a child, and to whom must they report it?
Is there a difference between moral obligation and legal obligation? Jesus responded to the heart of that question
in his famous story about the Good Samaritan. Surprisingly though, He didn't
actually answer that question, He answered a more important one. Who is my neighbor? is the wrong question.
According to Jesus, the right question is "Am I a neighbor?" It's not
"Who must I love?" It's "Am I one who loves?"
Tim went on to say that obligation was not the issue at all, but rather LOVE was the issue. Tim was also quick to point out that although we wanted to point fingers, we as students also suffered from the same sickness of the heart.
I've heard of students questioning what this means
about the value of their degree, or the future of the football program. Really?
You're young. As I'd had conversations with many I've realized that your moral
compasses are still being built. You're still filling in the blank spaces about
what's right and wrong in different situations. But can I just poke you a
little bit? Those questions should be way down your list. If it was your little
brother, your son being raped in a shower by a 50 year old man, would those
questions even occur to you?
So we all suffer from this lack of
love. Why is it so hard? The word "love" appears314 timesin the bible, so it is not like it is
some obscure truth. It is one we hear a lot and it is one that shows a
clear disconnect. We all yearn for this "peace" in the world
that can be achieved through love, yet it seems so difficult and
to constantly evade us.
The Resurgence is
an organization that serves the church on
mission by creating tools, training believers, and connecting leaders. They
have a very active "blogosphere" and have recently posted the
provocative title"Love-Making". This piece
methodically states the double condition of the heart: the broken and sinful
side that leads to a destructive world juxtaposed with a mended and loving
heart through the Holy Spirit. In relation to the aforementioned
"disconnect", as bluntly stated byJustin Holcomb:
Love is our problem. Moreover, the
command to love doesn’t generate in us the ability to fulfill it. We can be
told over and over that we ought to love, but being told to do so doesn’t make
it possible for us to accomplish it. The command to love actually condemns us,
because we all fail.
There is, however, a hope in all
things. Justin goes on to say that we are freed from condemnation and are
thus freed to love, knowing love from He who loved us first.
The world is broken and this
brokenness is rooted in an absence of love. We are called to restore
Creation to what it once was intended, but we will always be examining and
restoring our own hearts, perhaps 314 times over.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Persistence Tells Good Stories
Inspire, create, motivate, persist...
Passion, love, pressure, and drive...
DS2DIO is an organization that matches up YouTube music and dance artists to collaborate and simply create. The results are high quality and highly enjoyable. The documentary aspects at the beginning of each video also provides greater understanding into the story of each collaboration so that the audience feels invested in each experience.
Destorm Power and Jonathan Legacy Perez collaborate on this piece to show and provide a small window into what it looks like to first discover talent, to next pursue passion, to endure struggle, and to finally resolve in achievement.
This pattern is visible in many aspects of life, most notably in the pursuance of our "calling". God is the original creator, of both these beautiful art forms and of the talents within each of us. He asks us to multiply our talents and benefit those around us through love. Finally, the Bible talks extensively about persistence and how this is a never-ending theme in humanity. Struggles and conflicts create character and create stories and testimonies, from which we draw inspiration and power.
So develop your passion, push through the struggles, and let the world benefit from YOUR story.